BG4SDGs - Time to Change: to the Maldives to tell the story of life under the seas

It was in fact 1972 when Italians were the first tourists to set foot on this small paradise-state spread over 26 atolls and more than 1,000 coral islands, followed closely by travelers from all over the world.

Today, tourism accounts for more than 35% of the Maldives' GDP and contributes significantly to the country's economic development. This development, however, is not without consequences. The more than 1.3 million visitors a year bring with them habits and behaviors that significantly impact one of the most delicate marine ecosystems on the entire Planet. That is why it is critical today to take action before the damage from tourism is irreparable.

And it is precisely life under the seas in the waters of the Maldives that is the focus of the story in the ninth chapter of BG4SDGs - Time to Change, the project curated together with Stefano Guindani to delve into the state of the art of the process of achieving the 17 goals of the UN 2030 Agenda. On this occasion, the photographer's lens focused on investigating the situation related to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 14 "Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development."

To analyze the situation, the photographer went to explore some corners of the Maldives away from the big organized travel circuits to discover cooperative projects aimed at preserving marine fauna and flora.

In, Dharavandoo, for example, the Manta Trust is an association that works for the conservation of mobulids, a species that is highly threatened by litter in the seas. In Dhigurah, on the other hand, the Whale Shark Research Program protects whale sharks, a native species facing extinction due to changes in Maldivian marine ecosystems.

Intensive beach exploitation, on the other hand, is increasingly reducing space for turtles that do not know where to lay their eggs, but help is coming from the Olive Ridley Project in Dhuni Kholu, which cares for these species before they become endangered.

Tourism, however, is not the only problem facing the Maldives.

Another major challenge for the archipelago is climate change. The rapid melting of glaciers-witnessed already in the project in Svalbard, Norway-is rapidly raising ocean levels.

This is a real threat of extinction for the lowest sea level state in the World.

Not surprisingly, President Ibrahim Solih has stated that he fears the Maldives may disappear by the end of this century. This is an apocalyptic scenario that Maldivians are trying to avoid at all costs, including through international cooperation, with projects such as the Modular Artificial Reef Structure (MARS), an initiative that involves the creation of transplant coral created by 3D printing that promotes the growth of bionic corals. A smart, zero-impact way to create natural barriers against rising seas.